Movember Workshops: Celebrating Men’s Mental Health

Smart D8 x Solas Project: Supporting Men’s Mental Health Month

Smart D8 is delighted to partner with Solas Project for ‘Mind Your Mate’, a community event dedicated to supporting and celebrating men’s mental health. Taking place in the heart of Dublin 8, the evening is designed to bring men of all ages together in a relaxed, positive and welcoming environment. The aim is to create space for connection, open conversation and practical support, all while encouraging men to prioritise their wellbeing.

The event will offer a wide variety of activities that promote both physical and mental health. Attendees can take part in seven-a-side football, guided breathwork, yoga, arts and crafts, and hear from a range of mental health speakers. There will also be a nutritionist and an on-site nurse offering health checks, alongside a food truck to help keep everyone fuelled throughout the evening. The atmosphere is intended to be friendly and inclusive, making it easy for men to meet others, learn something new, and enjoy an evening focused on wellbeing.

As part of the programme, Smart D8 tutors will host two workshops that are free and open to anyone attending. The first, Mental Health First Aid for Young Adults, will be delivered by Kieran Doyle. This session introduces the key principles of Mental Health First Aid, giving young adults the tools to recognise when a friend or peer may be struggling. Kieran will guide participants through the ALGEE action plan and discuss ways to offer effective support, while also emphasising the importance of self-care for those who provide help to others.

The second workshop, Fuel Your Mind, will be led by nutritional therapist Margaret O’Brien from Balance My Life. Margaret will explore the relationship between nutrition and mental wellbeing, highlighting how our food choices influence mood, energy, focus and resilience. Participants will learn about foods that support brain health, how to avoid habits that drain energy, and simple daily changes that can make a real difference. The workshop is engaging, practical and suitable for anyone interested in understanding how diet can support overall wellbeing.

Mind Your Mate is more than an event – it’s a chance for the community to come together, support one another and learn tools that strengthen both individual and collective wellbeing. Whether you join for the workshops, the activities, the conversations, or simply the atmosphere, everyone is welcome.

The event takes place from 6pm to 9pm on the 27th of November 2025 at Solas Project, Liberty View, Unit 1 Long’s Place, The Liberties, Dublin 8. We look forward to being part of an evening that encourages learning, connection and community support.

Smart D8 Showcase 2025 Highlights Innovation in Population Health

Smart D8 Showcase 2025 Highlights Whole-of-Society Innovation in Population Health

 

The recent Smart D8 Showcase brought together innovators, researchers, community partners and entrepreneurs to explore the future of population health and wellbeing. This year’s edition was hosted in the Digital Depot at The Digital Hub, spotlighting pioneering pilot projects and initiatives tackling real-world health challenges in the heart of Ireland’s capital city.

Smart D8, Dublin’s first smart district dedicated to addressing community health in the heart of Dublin 8, is a population health demonstrator committed to improving the wellbeing of nearly 45,000 citizens living, working and studying in Dublin 8. It provides opportunities for innovators to collaboratively demonstrate innovative content and technology to enhance population health outcomes locally and beyond.

This year’s showcase featured presentations and roundtables from 2024–2025 pilot project leaders, ranging across themes such as heart health, men’s health and early-stage cancer detection. Highlights of the first panel, “Piloting Next-Generation Population Health,” included:

  • PRiCAN Research Group at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, for LISTEN (Leveraging an AI Scribe Tool to Detect Early Non-Specific Symptoms of Cancer) — prompting clinicians on early cancer indicators, helping ensure subtle cancer symptoms don’t go unnoticed
  • patientMpower in collaboration with St James’s Hospital Heart Support Unit, for the Smart Heart initiative — supporting citizens’ remote monitoring for biomarkers associated with heart failure progression
  • D8 Astro Football by Football Cooperative CLG in collaboration with Dublin City Council — developing a Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework for men’s health with partners such as South East Technological University, University College Dublin, Local Sports Partnerships and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI)
  • Ongoing Smart D8 community engagement initiatives — led by Smart D8 Community Coordinator, Ana Coughlan, and core collaborators such as The Liberties Community Project

The second panel, “Beyond Pilots – Scaling Outcomes, Lessons and Learnings,” brought together key roundtable speakers for post-pilot impacts from 2024, including initiatives from Kids Speech Labs, Dublin Simon Community, CP-Life Research Centre at RCSI, and Outlandish Theatre (OT) Platform in collaboration with the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) and Trinity College Dublin.

The event ended with an engaging networking session, fostering continued collaboration across the Smart D8 partnership, collaborators, and extended innovator and community networks; all committed to driving next-generation innovations in population health and wellbeing.

By fostering connections between citizens and service-providers, Smart D8 presents a unique opportunity for innovators to explore how innovative content and technologies can collaboratively improve health and wellbeing with an urban population. Smart D8 is looking to engage and collaborate with enterprises, academic institutions, and public and private sector organisations who wish to market validate their solutions with the local community to demonstrate measurable impacts on social and economic determinants of health to scale.

Smart D8’s achievements have earned widespread recognition, including HealthTech Innovation of the Year finalist (Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards 2023), Innovation in Public Administration (EPSA 2023-24), Digital Community finalist (.ie Digital Town Awards 2024), and overall Citizen Engagement winner with MoveAhead (eGovernment Awards 2025).